The days of the PlayStation TV are numbered, as Sony stops shipping the device in Japan and has halted production of the device. Also known as the PlayStation Vita TV in Japan, the device has been around for just a little over 2 years, and allowed gamers to play a subset of PS Vita games on a large screen.
In addition to announcing the PS Vita TV in Western territories at E3, Sony will also be renaming the device to just PlayStation TV, or PS TV. The PS Vita TV was released in Japan and Asia last November, and has evolved constantly to bring new features. At just 6.5cm × 10.5cm in size, the PS TV is the smallest PlayStation platform to connect to a TV.
Sony has finally announced the PS Vita TV for the North American and European markets. The new hardware will be released in North America and Europe in Autumn of this year, for just $99. A bundle will also be available for £139, which will include a controller and the LEGO Movie Videogame.
If you were planning to import a PS Vita TV device from Japan, you’ll be sad to know that the device will be region locked. The device can only be used with a Japanese PSN account, so importers should wait for a Western release to make the most of the device. A post of NeoGAF says the device doesn’t work with non-Japanese accounts.
A new video for the PS Vita TV device has been released for the Japanese market. The video showcases some of the features for the device, including the ability to play a game on the PS Vita and then continue playing it on the PS Vita TV by moving the Game card and memory card over to the device.
In an interview at the Eurogamer Expo in London, Sony UK’s Fergal Gara has revealed that a UK launch date for the PS Vita TV is in discussion. In an interview with CVG, Gara said that UK consumers should “watch this space”, adding “let’s get it out in Japan, see how successful it is, and take it from there”.
Sony’s newly announced PS Vita TV device won’t be launching in North America or Europe at the same time as it’s Japanese release, which is currently scheduled for release on November 14th 2013. Shuhei Yoshida, President of Sony’s Worldwide Studios, has taken to twitter to confirm that the device will first release in Japan, before heading to the West at a later stage.
Sony have revealed a new console at it’s pre-TGS press conference this morning, allowing gamers to play PS Vita and PSP titles on a TV, using a DualShock 3 or 4 controller. The device, which is just 6.5cm × 10.5cm × 1.4cm includes a HDMI port to connect to a TV, and also lets you play PS4 games in another room, without the need for a second console.
